What Would You Ask Arlco Democratic Candidates?

Do you bike to work? If so, how often? Do you cycle otherwise?

Yes, I am a bike commuter. I cycle as often as can, which varies by season, work location, etc. I know that on the days I cycle, I will arrive at work more alert and happier and will arrive back home that evening more relaxed.

I work at IBM, and have bike commuted to sites in downtown DC, the DC Waterfront, Courthouse, the Pentagon, and Herndon. In each case, I found that the accessibility and cost of locations to shower and change – and to securely store my bike – directly affected my own bike commuting patterns and how widespread bike commuting is among employees. My own experiences have shaped my understanding of the importance of designing bike commuting into facilities in order to promote wider adoption of bike commuting. The easier and more convenient it is to bike commute, the more people will do it.

I cycle for fun, too. With my children I frequently ride sections of the C&O canal, and the Arlington loop. When my children are older, I have plans to ride the C&O from Pittsburgh to D.C. with them.

When I was younger, I completed a self-contained bike trip across the country on the Transamerica trail. I have been a member of Adventure Cycling for nearly 20 years, and in the future, I have a personal goal to ride the Great Divide trail.

Cycling has been an important part of my life, and there is much that we can do as a community to make it safer and more accessible to everyone.

Arlington County is going for a Gold Certification as a Bike Friendly Business. Do you support this effort? What do you feel Arlington could do in order to obtain that Gold certification? How should cycling fit within Arlington’s transportation plan? How does Capital Bikeshare fit within that plan?

Everywhere I look I see the red Capital Bikeshare bikes being ridden in our community. Capital Bikeshare has surpassed all expectations. It is a cost-effective, healthful form of public transit and Arlington should continue to support its expansion.

As President of the Highland Park Overlee Knolls Civic Association I have worked with Capital Bikeshare and Bike Arlington on the siting of bikeshare locations in my own neighborhood.

I support Arlington’s efforts to achieve Gold Certification. I am disappointed but not surprised that the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) has held Arlington at Silver level. While we continue to make improvements, American Community Survey data highlighted by LAB indicate that cyclists who use their bike as their primary method of commuting has been static, and may have even declined from 2011 to 2012. Although my own observation is that the popularity of cycling in Arlington continues to rapidly accelerate.

Arlington residents desire choice in transportation options. Cycling that is safe and accessible needs to be part of the available transportation options. When my wife and I chose our current neighborhood, accessibility to both the Metro and the trail system were key considerations. Cycling has a role in Arlington’s transportation plan, both as a main transportation option for some people and as a “last mile” solution for others.

I am supportive of continuing to expand on-street bike lanes and sharrows, and to examine options for additional separated facilities.

Arlington County supports bike commuters as part of its transportation plan. And yet the bike paths – the arteries of bike commuters – are under Parks and Recreation jurisdiction. Parks and Recreation regularly closes the trails down during rush hour, fails to clear the trails of snow after storms, and drives its vehicles down the trails. Should the bike trails be considered vital transportation arteries? Should they be placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environment Services? Should the trails be clear of snow after storms? Should Parks and Recreation be able to close down the trails during rush hour in order to prune trees?

As a member of Arlington’s Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission, I have raised the issue of whether the Department of Environmental Services should assume management of the trail network in order to better maintain them as transportation assets. However, the Department assignment is less important than ensuring that our trails are managed as the transportation and recreation assets they are. We need to maximize the use of the trail network – for cyclists and for other trail users.

A notorious problem in Arlington is known as the Intersection of Doom. This is the intersection of N Lynn Street and the Custis Trail (Lee Hwy) near I-66 and Key Bridge. It is a dangerous intersection where cars regularly run red lights, and there is rarely police enforcement. What can be done to make the Intersection of Doom safer?

I have traversed this junction many times over the years, and I know how dangerous it can be. It is an important intersection, heavily used by commuter cyclists, pedestrians, and cars alike.

I am open to consideration of options to make the intersection; better enforcement and new dedicated bike/ped signals are two examples. I would like to see more permanent improvements to make this gateway point safer.

Phoenix Bikes is proposing moving its youth program to a new location along Four Mile Run and George Mason Drive. This will give Phoenix bikes more room to expand its programs and greater access to potential cycling customers. Do you support the new location for Phoenix Bikes?

Phoenix Bikes is a great program, and I am supportive of its efforts to reach more customers. In knocking on doors in the community around the proposed expansion site, I have heard concerns about the expansion proposal that I believe need to be addressed through a vetting process with Arlington residents.

Additional Question: “I would ask the candidates to explain their position on the proposed Columbia Pike Streetcar and whether they support including the construction of a CONTINUOUS cross-county parallel bikeway as an INTEGRAL part of the Pike Streetcar project.”

I did not start out in support of the streetcar. After examining the project and the alternatives, I do believe that the streetcar is an investment which – managed correctly – will benefit all of Arlington and will help us address our crowded schools. We cannot give the streetcar project a blank check, but done right, the streetcar will improve transportation through the Pike corridor, and provide broad-based community benefits.

I am supportive of creation of a continuous cross-county parallel bikeway route to ensure that the Pike is navigable by cyclists. A parallel bikeway would make it safer for cyclists by reducing the interactions between bikes and all types of vehicles – busses, cars, trucks, and streetcars.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the Arlington cyclist community?

In addition to making cycling safer and more accessible for adults, we also need to look at cycling accessibility for children. For example, encouraging children to ride to and from school is a great way to increase physical activity and have kids arrive at school better prepared to learn. But this means having safe routes for our children to use that are protected from vehicular traffic.

In addition, we in the cycling community have a responsibility to continue to educate and enforce trail and road safety and mixed trail use places. Given the heavy use of Arlington’s trails by cyclists of all ages and skills levels, as well as runners and pedestrians, cyclists have a responsibility to look out for the safety of all trail users.

Thanks for the opportunity to talk about cycling in our community, and I welcome your ideas and feedback. There is much that we can do together to make cycling safer and more accessible to everyone.

Keep riding – and please stop and say hi when we cross paths!
Alan
http://www.alanhowze.com

Two other candidates have indicated that they have responses coming — and hopefully the rest will be forthcoming.

UPDATE: All candidates have now indicated they will respond. All responses will be posted here and on Windy Run.

I’m glad you took the time to write this detailed questionnaire, and I appreciate that you asked for my views. You’ve raised a number of issues that are important for the Board to consider and which I’ll have to look into more closely. For now, I hope this reply gives you some idea of where I stand.

I grew up riding a bike. It was the way I got around town. I rode it to school, I rode it to friends’ houses, I rode it just to explore the neighborhood. I no longer ride a bike –I take the Metro to work, and I run in the morning—but I know how important biking is to a community. It’s not just a fun way to stay healthy—it’s an inexpensive, fast, environmentally sound means of transportation that reduces congestion, helps kids get around safely, and brings people together.

How can we make Arlington more bikable? The Board can address some of the concerns you’ve raised fairly easily. We can work with the Department of Parks and Recreation to make sure that snow and debris is cleared in a timely manner after storms, and that officials don’t unnecessarily close bike trails. We can also work with law enforcement to ensure that the “Intersection of Death” is properly policed.

I will enthusiastically support efforts to earn gold-level Bike Friendly Community status for Arlington. Gold status will draw tourists, encourage the development of bike shops and related businesses, and attract prospective residents. We won’t earn that status easily. We’ll need to think creatively, not just build a few more bike racks or depend upon Capital Bikeshare expansion (although I welcome it!), to make biking truly mainstream in Arlington and therefore deserving of gold. I don’t have any immediate answers, but I’m open to ideas.

I’m glad that Phoenix Bikes plans to expand its youth programs and is relocating to meet the needs of its customers. I think it’s critical that young people learn how to be entrepreneurs in a way that gives back to their community and nothing teaches quite so well as hands-on experience.

I’m opposed to the streetcar—I think there are better ways to provide transportation and encourage development in Columbia Pike. But, because I’m concerned that the streetcar will seriously impact bike accessibility and safety, I think that a continuous cross-county parallel bikeway is worth considering.

A bikeable community is a friendly, livable community, and it is important that Arlington is friendly to bikers. I look forward to addressing some of the issues you’ve raised here at greater length after I study them further, and I hope you’ll reach out in the future.

Evan Bernick for
Arlington County Board

As the father of young children, I take them to preschool in the morning, and then drive to my job in Fairfax. If one became ill or had an accident during the day, I would need to immediately get to the school and drive to the pediatrician. However, I do work from home when I can, which keeps my car off the road. As they get older, I look forward to teaching my children to ride bikes. They will be able to bike to our local elementary school.

I support Arlington’s efforts to obtain a Gold Certification as a Bike Friendly Community. Arlington seeks to be a leader in all that we do. Therefore, I would support going beyond the Gold level, and striving for the Platinum designation. The bar is understandably higher for this certification, but it is worth pursuing. If we start taking steps in that direction, we will become a better community along the way and eventually reach our goal. For both Gold and Platinum, we need to get more people using bikes more frequently, improve trail connectivity (for cyclists), adopt a real “share the road” philosophy on our public streets, and increase safety. I support these goals as part of building a sustainable community with transportation choices.

The DC area is a national leader in bike sharing. Arlington is a key member of Capital Bikeshare. I have consistently supported Arlington’s participation in Capital Bikeshare, and recommended potential new locations to expand service in our community. More bike stations make bike sharing convenient for more residents and visitors. “Not only are more people likely to have a bike station nearby, they are more likely to find another bike station near their destination in Arlington or otherwise. This provides both more visibility for the program and well as greater access and convenience for users. A review by county staff has indicated that users of Capital Bikeshare are more likely to purchase their own bicycle afterwards. This encourages more cycling in our community after a few ‘trial runs’ as residents experience Arlington via bicycle. During my term on the Planning Commission, we have seen bike stations get installed near hotels. This provides visitors to our community with an alternative to driving during their stay and for leisure.

Periodically, trees along our bike trails and public streets need to be pruned. This is important for the health of the tree, to limit interference with overhead lines, clear visual obstructions, and for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. Pruning and other landscape maintenance work should be scheduled to limit impacts on the trail users. Ideally, advance notice of scheduling should be provided to the bike community, in the event an alternate route would make more sense.

Responsibility for the trails should be coordinated between the Parks and Recreation Division and DES. County efforts, for snow removal along major streets, which often rely upon contracted labor, generally pile snow into the bike lane, parking lane, or even onto the sidewalks. I would support efforts to plow heavily used trails.

One accident is too many, wherever it occurs. There are far too many accidents happening in Rosslyn. We need to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the cyclists at the Lynn St. intersection and anywhere else we have a danger point. We also need to take steps to reduce the occurrence of drivers, as they exit their parked cars, from hitting passing cyclists. As a County Board member, I would look to leaders in the cycling community and county staff to bring forward proposals to address safety. This should be a top priority, before more accidents occur.

Organizations like Phoenix Bikes form an important partnership between the Arlington County government and our citizens. Phoenix Bikes currently operates a facility in Barcroft Park, and is seeking to move to a new location on County-owned land near the intersection of Four Mile Run and S. George Mason Drive. I support Phoenix Bike’s efforts to expand their youth training operation and provide services (education, restrooms, water stations) for cyclists and other trail users. Relocating to a new site adjacent to a major trail makes sense. As often happens in Arlington, concerns have been raised by nearby residents regarding loss of mature trees and green space. The County has held public meetings to share information and get feedback on the proposal. As a County Board member, I would want to hear from all stakeholders to determine the best site for the Phoenix Bike facility, so that we can move forward.

I support the proposed streetcar system along Columbia Pike and through Crystal City. I have many unanswered questions, which include bicyclists’ safety while sharing the existing right of way with automobiles, trucks, busses, and streetcars. The rails on the street may pose an additional hazard to cyclists. Therefore, I am interested in the parallel bikeway concept. It would need to be continuous to provide a seamless connection for users. Any parallel bikeway would need to be located very close to the Pike to be a viable alternative route for cyclists transportation needs. I understand the County staff is looking at this option.

As longtime member of the Planning Commission, I have a record of support for efforts to treat cycling as a true modal choice and transportation element. I support sharing the road (sharrows, bike lanes, bike tracks, or other dedicated lanes) with cyclists. Biking is not just a recreational choice; it’s a key modal element of transportation in Arlington. Arlington residents have a high proportion of cycling commuters. It is standard for the County to require bike storage lockers and bike racks in all new site plan approved projects and in our public facilities I served on Arlington’s Master Transportation Plan (MTP) Plenary Group for five years, which included adding a bicycle element as an element of the County’s Comprehensive Plan. I served on the Arterial Traffic Management (ATM) task force which focused on making our major roads safer for all users. I support adding safer bike routes throughout the County and better connections to our Arlington and regional trails. As a member of the Long Bridge Park Task Force, I can say that establishing a trail connection from the Mt. Vernon trail, over the GW parkway and Roaches Run, linking up to our new park and beyond is a priority I support.

Arlington is a leading community in recognizing the importance of using bikes as a transportation option. As a former member of the County’s Planning Commission, Transportation Commission, and as a visitor to the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC), I have a clear record of advocating for cyclists and voting for bike friendly proposals. I’ve always supported additional bike lockers in new commercial and residential buildings, and shower facilities in the office buildings. Our streetscapes have been adding more bike racks for cyclists’ convenience. I have supported efforts to equip buses with bike racks and more bike lockers at our Metro stations for multimodal commuting. I supported efforts to gain bicycle and emergency vehicle access between the Army Navy Country Club and the far side of Interstate 395.

We can do more, and with the help of leaders in the cycling community, we will do more. My vision includes making biking a desirable option for more potential riders. Expansion of our bike lane network should be an integral part of our street redesigns. We need to increase safety and change driver behavior to fairly share the road. I seek greater collaboration with Arlington Public Schools to encourage more students and staff, to walk or bicycle to school, as an alternative to driving. Fewer cars near our schools would foster safety and confidence for walking and cycling.

As a member of the County Board, I will continue to support efforts by our cycling community to move Arlington forward. My record shows that I have embraced cycling as an equal transportation choice for getting around Arlington.

Every candidate has now responded.

I encourage Arlington residents to read these statements closely, attend debates or watch them on youtube, and follow the election. Frequently, Arlco Board elections are resolved at the democratic primary (which is the end of this month) – altho this time, with the Columbia Pike Street Car being such a contentious issue – and with the independent Vihstadt presenting an alternative position to the democratic pro-street car position – we could have ourselves a horse race.

The Virginia Attorney General state-wide election was resolved by ~100 votes. I think the last school board election in Arlington was resolved by ~40 votes.

As cynical as you may be about whether your vote matters, it matters at the local level. It matters now. If everyone on the forum who is an Arlington voter does in fact vote, we could determine the outcome of the election.

Please follow this election and please vote.